Vocabulary Practice Test Questions

To abdicate means to relinquish or give up a throne, power, right, or responsibility. It does not mean to sell (B), reinvest in (C), or auction (D).

To abscond means to flee or escape secretly and hide. It can also connote making off with something (e.g. “He absconded with the treasure.”) It does not mean to touch anyone (A), to report immediately (B)-an opposite-or to leave after some discussion (C), but to break out/take off quickly.

Aural refers to the ears or hearing. A corresponding adjective referring to the eyes (A) is visual; to the nose (C) is nasal; and to the mouth (D) is oral.

Benevolent means kind or good. It does not mean secretive (A), i.e. keeping secret. In this sentence, stingy (B) is an antonym for “benevolent with his fortune.” Benevolent does not mean careful (D) or cautious.

A buttress (noun) and to buttress (verb) mean support. Buttress is not a limiting factor (A), an overwhelming condition (C), or an obstacle (D) or barrier.

In electrolysis and electrophoresis, for example, electrons (negatively charged particles) come from a power supply along a negatively charged electrode, the cathode. Electrons return to the power supply via a positively charged electrode, the anode. Therefore, the cathode is not the positive (A), neutral (C), or opposite (D) electrode, or pole.

Quack and charlatan are synonyms meaning phony, fraud, or faker. A doctor known as a charlatan or quack is not a knowledgeable physician (B) or a procedural physician (C). A medical examiner (D) is a specific job title for a licensed physician who is also a government-appointed officer conducting autopsies to investigate and determine cause of death, not a synonym for a fake.

Copious means profuse or abundant, i.e. maximal, not minimal (A), an antonym. This meaning is not related to, and does not mean, clear (B) or foul (D).

To defame means to slander, libel, or otherwise disparage the reputation or actions of another. It does not mean to kill (A), badger (B) or harass; or to suffocate (C) or smother.

To derive means to deduce; i.e. to draw from or arrive at through deduction, or to determine via reasoning. It does not mean to desist (A), i.e. cease; to deter (B), i.e. prevent or discourage; or to devise (C), i.e. design or invent.

To evoke means to call forth, elicit, or draw out, as emotions. It does not mean to sell (A), calm (B), or exaggerate (D).

Fallible means able to err. It does not mean careful not to do so (A), falsely accused (B), or loyal to one’s supporters (C).

Germane means relevant, pertinent, or applicable. It does not mean obscure (B), i.e. unclear or hidden; limited (C), or usual (D).

A grotto is a small cave, cavern, or hollow. It is not a larger cave (A), or a hotel (C) or motel (D).

Heedless means thoughtless: to heed is to pay attention to, mind, or observe something, and heedless is not paying attention/ignoring. It does not mean pleasant (B), friendly (C), or bitter (D).

Innumerable means countless, or impossible to number or count. It is an opposite of limited (A). It does not mean weary (B) or tired, or harmless (D).

Infuse is the best synonym here for instill, meaning to impart, inject, introduce or put something into someone or something. These two words do not mean to delay (B), i.e. put off or slow down; to inscribe (C), i.e. write, etch, or imprint; or to indict (D), i.e. accuse.

Jovial means happy or merry, the opposite of sad (B) and somber (C). It does not mean laborious (D), i.e. effortful, difficult, or painstaking.

Latent means dormant, sleeping, or inactive; unrealized, or covert or hidden. It does not mean first (A), growth (B), or last (C).

Loch is the Scottish word equivalent to the English word lake. Hence lake is a closer synonym than water (A), which has many forms; or gulf (C) or ocean (D), both bodies of water different from a lake.